Into The Light
by Aryea
Summary: Mr. Spock takes a nap, Chekov gets a girlfriend, McCoy loses his memory and an Alien Race makes first contact. Takes place after Star Trek Into Darkness as they are starting their Five Year Mission.


_Based on characters by JJ Abrahams. If you like it please review._

**STAR TREK-INTO THE LIGHT**

* * *

Spock ran through the Enterprise corridor as if the hounds of hell were behind him. His long legs pumped faster and faster, his green blood surged through his veins and made his heart pound erratically. He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to get there.

The ship was rocked suddenly by a large explosion that threw him against the nearest door, which swished open to reveal the observation deck.

Wincing, he rose to his knees, lifted his head and stared out at the view screen as his mother's body floated past, silently screaming for him.

He stood on unsteady legs and rushed forward, slamming both hands against the protected glass. "Mother!" But she was gone, replaced by his home planet looming before him. Mesmerized by the sight of it, he had just began to think it had been saved, when the surface implosions began as it was sucked into the black hole. "No! NOOOOOOO!"

Spock stumbled backwards and was suddenly falling, falling with seeming no end in sight, and then he hit, hard and rolled across the rocks of an active volcano. What? What was he doing back here? He had set the cold fusion device. They had saved the indigenous species and stopped the eruption. The Captain had violated the Prime Directive to save him.

The extreme temperature was unbearable, he was not wearing the exo-suit he had before and the flames licked at his skin. Fear started to overtake him and he did what he had done before, he chose not to feel. He closed his eyes and threw out his arms.

_**You filed a report and I lost my ship!**_

His eyes shot open, the fierce heat was gone he found himself standing in the corridor outside Admiral Pike's office. He had never meant for that to happen. He had not intended for Kirk to lose command of the Enterprise. He had simply been following procedure. Why couldn't Kirk understand that?

_**Never trust a Vulcan.**_

Even through the heavy door he could hear that remark and he was startled by the strange feeling it caused inside of him. He could be trusted. He had not meant to betray his Captain. Disoriented, he tried to remember what he was doing, when admiral Pike's office exploded. Spock felt the sear of heat again as he was thrown against the opposite bulkhead.

He rolled to his feet and charged inside, appalled at the carnage. Bodies were laying everywhere along the boardroom floor. Some of the officers were trying to cowering under a long table, trying to get away from the phaser blasts that were coming through the window.

Spock pulled out one officer, then another. As he stepped back inside he saw Admiral Pike crawling across the floor until a phaser caught him dead center in the chest. He grabbed his former Captain and started to pull him to safety but Uhura blocked his path through the doorway.

_**"You didn't think about us! What it would to me!"**_

He stumbled, her words like daggers piercing his heart. "You misunderstand!" he insisted just as Uhura took a phaser shot to the stomach, which through her out into the corridor.

"Lieutenant!" He rushed forward and knelt beside her. "Nyota,"

_**You'd better get down here**_.

"Not now!" Spock snapped at the phantom voice as he pulled Uhura into his arms.

_**You'd better hurry.**_

"I…." Spock was torn. Logically he should stay with her and see to her injuries, and there was also Admiral Pike, but as he turned to appraise the man's condition, he saw that he was on the bridge of the Enterprise.

The forward view screen filled with the image of his older self.

_**He is brilliant, ruthless and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you**_.

The fear he had been attempting to suppress surged forward tenfold and he was running again. He knew that there was somewhere he had to be, something he needed to see and the fear and panic started to spike inside him again.

Uhura opened her eyes and lifted her hand to Spock's face. "Go get him," she said.

He spun and rose around, his weapon in his hand, and found himself on Earth in the middle of a busy court yard. His gaze shot sideways in time to spot his prey, and then he was running again, running with everything he had in him. Fear, anger, hurt, betrayal, rage, all of these emotions were flowing through him unchecked, and he didn't understand why. He wanted to kill the man that ran from him. He wanted to murder him, as he had wanted to murder Nero, perhaps even more so, and the sheer enormity of the sensation terrified him.

He chased the man through buildings, across more courtyards and then he leapt forward to catch the underside of the garbage scow that was rising before him, and….missed. He caught himself on the railing of the building he had just jumped from, pulled himself up and over, then lifted his gaze skyward and spotted another man standing beside the criminal.

"I'm scared, Spock!" Jim Kirk cried, just as he was pushed off the garbage scow and started plummeting towards his first officer.

Spock reached out and caught his Captain's hand. "I've got you!" he assured, even as he felt his grip slipping. "I will not let you fall."

"Do you know why I went back for you?"

"Yes! You're my friend!" Spock tried to use both hands and yet his Vulcan strength failed him as Jim Kirk's fingers started to slide through his.

Those deep, impossibly blue, human eyes ripped through all of Spock's defenses and seared into his very soul. "Help me not to feel!"

"I…I can't!" Tears streamed down his cheeks, landing on their joined hands, making them wet with moisture and Spock didn't know what distressed him more, the man who's life he held in his hands, or the fact that he was crying. "I'm failing. I…I…"

_**A ship should go down with her Captain!**_

Spock swung his gaze to the criminal, still hovering above them, and that was when he felt Kirk slip through his fingers. "No!" He reached out but there was nothing but air all he could do was what his friend fall to the street far, far below, Kirk's eyes holding his in grief and betrayal.

"KHHHAAAAAANNNNNNN!"

The scream tore from Spock's throat and he bolted upright in his bed. It took him a full three seconds before he realized he was safe in his quarters aboard the newly repaired Enterprise. It was only a dream, and it had been fourteen months, eleven days, nine hours and twenty two minutes since he had watched Jim Kirk die.

Soft, slim arms slid around his bare shoulders and torso, encompassing him with a strength that continued to surprise him. A warm cheek leaned against his left shoulder blade.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It is unnecessary." Spock was displeased at the slight unevenness of his voice, but did not believe it was such that she would detect it. "It was merely a dream."

"The same dream you were having from our first mission?"

"No." This dream had been more than his subconscious trying to deal with the loss of his race, his planet and his mother. This had been far more…disturbing. "I apologize for waking you. If you prefer you can return to your quarters and…"

"Are you kicking me out?"

"I am unclear as to what that means."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"I have disturbed your rest, and you may be more likely to resume a more peaceful slumber if…"

She slid forward so she was facing him and put her finger to his lips. "Stay or go, Spock?"

He stared into the dark phantom eyes that had been the initial lure that captured his attention upon their first meeting, and every meeting thereafter. Human poets frequently penned sonnets of the splendor of a woman's eyes, comparing them to scenes of nature or gateways to the human soul; some mentioned how one could become lost inside their very depths. He had appreciated their genius of prose, but had never truly comprehended the significance of their intention. Not until he'd met an engaging, exquisitely intelligent cadet, had his appreciation turned to understanding.

"Stay."

She smiled, pressed her lips to his with a sweet sincerity that Spock hoped to one day be capable of returning, for her benefit at least.

She slid from the bed and reached for her robe. "I'll make some tea."

He felt a quick spark of disappointment, as her spectacular nude form disappeared beneath the thin, dark cloth, spattered with the pattern of leaves in Earth's autumn season. She could have been sculpted or painted by the finest artists the universe had to offer, yet that no masterpiece would ever compare to the natural, primal beauty that was Nyota Uhura.

Fearing she would wish discussion with her tea, he also rose and slid into a similar robe, a gift from the Lieutenant when she had purchased her own. The fabric was decadently soft against his skin, but hardly practical as it provided neither warmth nor purpose, aside from covering nakedness. Nyota insisted the fact that it was 'pretty' was reason enough to own it. He had yet to understand that statement, however he knew his wearing it pleased her somehow, and so he would continue to do so.

He stood at his small port window and stared out at the stars, his hands clasped behind his back in their usual, comfortable position. The dream had disturbed him, not the content, but the amount of emotions that he had allowed himself to feel while intertwined within it. It was rare that he dreamed; most Vulcan's didn't. His father once told him that it was his Human half that caused it, as his Vulcan half would lead more towards a premonition of future events, than a dream of the past; when such things were warranted.

He had saved Jim by capturing Khan and in some way it removed some of the guilt at not being able to save his mother, or his planet. Some, but not all. It was irrational to blame himself for the actions of another. They had stopped Nero in the end, but not soon enough. Not quickly enough. Perhaps his doubt…His feelings of guilt were also in part to his Human side. He could suppress them, should suppress them, and yet…After the loss of his mother, he found he did not want to permanently suppress all the feelings which she had gifted him with.

A hand on his shoulder caught his attention and he turned as his mate offered him the small palm-sized cup of steaming hot tea. "Thank you, Nyota."

"Are you feeling better?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "My feelings are no different than what they always are."

Liar! She wanted to toss back at him. That scream had taken years off her life as it had the first time she'd first heard it; the day Jim Kirk unofficially died. Something had scared Spock. Something had put that grief-stricken and enraged look on his face again and she needed to know what it was.

She pulled him over to the small sofa and tucked her legs underneath her as they settled against the cushions. "Maybe you should talk to Doctor McCoy, or Doctor Fashti?"

"What sort of discussion are you suggestion?"

"To tell them about your dream."

"It is of no consequence."

She scowled. "Don't lock me out again, Spock."

"That is not my intent."

"Then what is your intent?"

"I do not understand the question."

She sighed, leaned forward and set her tea on the small glass table. "I thought we'd moved passed this."

Spock set his cup next to hers and reached for her hand as she started to rise, sensing if he offered no sign of apology, she would again be upset with him. She was obviously expecting some reaction from him, and he searched his limited knowledge of human customs and behaviors to try to ascertain what the proper reaction might be.

He could not bear her 'silent treatment' again, especially when he had learned how his actions, or rather lack of, had injured her previously. He would rather face a dozen Khan's and Nero's to avoid one furious and distraught Lieutenant Uhura.

"Do not misunderstand," he asked quietly, a silent plea in his voice that he knew only she would discern. "My intent is not to make you unhappy or cause another quarrel."

She allowed herself a small smile, at least he'd learned his lesson there and she was glad he didn't want to fight with her again. She trapped his hand between both of hers and leaned forward earnestly. "If you won't talk to a medical professional then talk to me. Tell me what is bothering you."

"There are several things," he admitted. "The new anti-matter drives that have replaced the…"

"Not about the ship, Spock!" She took a deep breath, tried to remember who she was talking to and not to lose her temper. "About your dream."

"My dream is irrelevant."

"Why?"

"It is a dream and cannot change the course of the future or amend the wrongs of the past. It is a fabrication of my subconscious based on recent events and has no bearing in the face of reality."

She stared at him for a long moment. "When you have an equation you need to solve, do you think it through before deciding on a solution?"

"Yes, of course."

"And do you not consider all probabilities, scenarios and angles of a situation before suggesting a resolution?"

"It is only logical to do so."

"Fine. If a crewman is injured, do you not also seek medical advice to ascertain if that crewman is fit for duty and will not be a detriment to himself or the rest of the crew?"

Spock opened his mouth, then closed it again. He was sensing some sort of entrapment in her words and yet he could not argue with her reasoning. "Yes, however…"

"Well, it is just as logical to discuss a reoccurring dream that is disturbing your sleep and therefore not allowing you to get the proper rest needed for you to be at full capacity while on duty. That would, in fact, be a detriment to the performance of your abilities as a Starfleet officer and therefore should be treated with the same logical…"

"Nyota."

"Yes?" she smiled innocently at him and tried not to laugh at the deliberate scolding in his tone

"Your attempts to use logic as a means to probe the contents of a meaningless dream from me is pointless. Telling you about the dream will not stop it from happening again, nor will it in any way affect my sleep or my abilities to perform my duties."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Dreams mean something, Spock. If you are having bad dreams it means there is something you're hiding from emotionally…"

"I object to the term hiding…"

"Your choice not to feel is not a reflection of your not caring." She reminded as she touched his cheek. "Refusing to acknowledge your feelings doesn't make them go away."

"Where is it you believe they go?" he asked, curious, not at all bothered by the fact she was trying to use his own words against him.

"You know what I mean." She glared at him, and because he simply lifted an eyebrow at her reaction, ended up smiling instead. "Just because you don't think the dream affected you doesn't mean it hasn't or won't. Our dreams are ways of telling us when something is bothering us, and we have to listen to them."

"Most Vulcan's do not dream."

"You're not most Vulcans. You're half human."

Spock wanted to tell her had already had this discussion, with his father, many years ago. Since she reminded him of his weakness, he used a Human deflection. "I am fine."

"Spock, choosing not to feel doesn't change the fact that when you have suffered an emotional trauma your mind will still try to tell you so, in order to protect you, to help you face the trouble and to heal."

It annoyed Spock that she was right. He found it disconcerting when she used his own logic against him. "If I tell you of the dream, may we then move beyond it and never speak of it again?"

"Absolutely."

He barely withheld his sigh, as he retrieved his tea, sat back and revealed the contents of his nightmare. When he was done, Uhura sat quietly, staring into her now empty cup.

"What do you suggest, _Doctor_?" he taunted mildly.

"Find a way to put you back to sleep with good dreams," she decided and walked over to the com-panel on the wall. She fiddled with it, and a moment later soft, soothing music piped through Spock's quarters.

Spock's eyebrow rose even higher as she returned to where he sat and extended her hands.

"Come on."

He accepted and rose, mildly surprised when she pulled him to the center of the room, away from the furniture and slid an arm around his waist, while the other maintained a grip on his left hand. "What are we doing?"

"We're dancing."

"I am unfamiliar with this activity."

"That's okay, I'll lead. When I put my foot forward, you pull yours back." She did so and Spock complied. She moved her left foot and again he countered. "Now, turn a little and step, one two, now left, one two and turn."

"What is the purpose of this activity?" he inquired as he stared down at their bare feet, awaiting her next step.

"To relax and have fun." Her fingers gently lifted his chin so that he was staring down into her eyes. "Watch me, not our feet."

"How then can I counter…?"

"You can tell when I apply a little pressure with my hands, see?" She demonstrated and Spock surprised himself by automatically sliding his foot back when she moved forward.

"Fascinating." They danced around the room in tandem, and stopped when the music ended. "May we do that again, Nyota?"

She grinned, fairly skipped to the wall panel and programed the same song. Finding herself back in his arms a moment later, she was delighted when he requested to lead. Uhura was astonished when he led her smoothly around the room to the soft beat of the music, as if he had been born to it. When he requested the song a third time she was nearly giddy and quickly complied.

By the end of their third round she was flushed with pleasure. "Are you sure you've never danced before?"

"Not that I can recall. Would you like to go again?"

It thrilled her to no end that she had found something new for them to do together, and one he actually seemed to enjoy participating in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to touch hers. "I think that's enough to get the good dreams flowing."

She kissed him, once, twice, and continued until she felt his hands slowly curve around her waist. She loved that tentative, shy part of him and wondered if his hesitancy was because he was trying not to respond, and failing miserably; which delighted her even more, or if he was afraid of something deeper. Something that he would not, or could not share with her. He had trouble getting close to people, it had taken her almost a full four years to get even this close to him.

"I'm thinking of another activity right now."

Spock stared into her eyes, almost overcome by the depths of emotion her lips on his could cause. "One I am already familiar with?" he asked softly.

"Oh yes." She pressed her body to his. "Very, very familiar."

Spock started to smile, then suddenly winced as a searing pain pierced his skull. He released her and dropped like a stone.

"Spock!"


End file.
